


In Fire and In Grief

by round_robin



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Biting, Episode: s01e13 Le Morte D'Arthur, Flashbacks, Love Bites, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Power Imbalance, Sex Addiction, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-28 15:53:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15710418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/round_robin/pseuds/round_robin
Summary: Uther knew of other royals who drowned their grief in the bottom of a cup, and others still who got their physicians to prescribe all sorts of mind altering herbs and remedies. Uther's intoxicant of choice was the human body—as many as he could get his hands on.





	In Fire and In Grief

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write an Uther orgy fic, lots of prostitutes, the whole nine yards (I just really want to get Uther laid, I think it would solve a lot of his problems) but I got hit with an idea about Feelings and it took a turn. This takes place during season 1 episode 13 Le Morte d'Arthur, right before Merlin sets out to find a cure for Arthur.
> 
> Spell check hates all the names in this show, so please let me know if you spot a typo. The dubious consent is from the obvious power imbalance between these characters. Enjoy.

Uther did not process grief well. Royalty were often unaware of their own failings, but Uther knew this was one of his. It was all tied in to the hubris of royalty—there wasn't a single thing in his kingdom Uther could not control—and when faced with circumstances he could never hope to change or control, he spiraled. Hard.

He knew of other royals who drowned their grief in the bottom of a cup, and others still who got their physicians to prescribe all sorts of mind altering herbs and remedies. Uther's intoxicant of choice was the human body—as many as he could get his hands on.

It had been a long time since Uther's grief drove him this low, but as his son lay unconscious in his chambers, Gaius' every remedy failing, Uther fought against the urge to give in. The last time he felt such deep, cutting pain and the need to fill it, was right after his wife's death.

The deeper his grief, the more he needed, and on the day Arthur's mother died, Uther emptied every brothel in the kingdom. Men, women, it didn't matter, he took anyone who would make the pain stop.

He remembered (in the way one half remembers nights in a drunken haze) days of nothing but wine and prostitutes flowing in and out of his chambers. When he exhausted one, another took their place, sprawled across his bed, pressed up behind him, legs in the air or tangled with his, it was all a blur. Mostly, he remembered the constant press of warm skin against his own, the kisses and touches that kept him from going completely mad with grief. In one of his sharper memories, he recalled being balls deep in the woman spread across his bed, his tongue in a man's mouth, when a servant came in with another cask of wine.

“Apologies, sire,” the man mumbled and scurried out.

That was the first moment guilt started to enter Uther's mind, his first inkling that this was wrong...

He carried on for another two days before Gaius—both of them much younger then—stomped into his quarters and threw the last few prostitutes out. With a swift kick to Uther's stomach and his pride, Gaius shouted, “You have a son!” Only then did Uther's mind start to clear. His wife might be dead, but he still had a son, his infant son... And now, that same son was no longer an infant, but a man, and Uther was about to lose him as well.

The shivering and twitching of his limbs almost unbearable, it was the thought of Gaius' harsh friendship that brought his mind back. Yes, go to Gaius for a sleeping potion. It made sense for the King, worried for his son's health, to have trouble sleeping. He just needed to get through the night, it was more difficult to justify his particular vice during the day, and perhaps Gaius would have found a cure for Arthur by morning. Yes, a sleeping potion to calm his mind and pacify his urge to fuck the next person he saw.

Wrapping his cloak tightly around himself to conceal his erection, Uther almost ran all the way down to Gaius' lab. He didn't knock, just pushed open the door. “Gaius, I need—”

Gaius was not to be found. The room was almost completely dark, lit by one candle as Merlin sat by the window, staring out at the night.

Oh, Merlin...

While Uther didn't make it a habit of ogling servants, he wasn't blind. His son's servant was unusually attractive. His beautiful eyes conjured thoughts of angels and divine beauty, only to have his sinfully plump lips fill the mind with... unholy ideas. And his skin, so smooth and delicate, Uther couldn't help but imagine planting row after row of red suck marks all down the boy's throat.

No! Here he'd come to Gaius to escape temptation only to find the most tempting body in the castle. He turned away a little, only looking at Merlin in his peripheral vision as the boy got to his feet and straightened his clothes.

“Sire, is there anything I can do for you?”

Oh, if only Merlin knew... Uther closed his eyes and pushed through the sudden need pulsing at his cock. “Gaius,” he managed to breathe out. “Where is Gaius?”

“He's with the Prince, sire. Do you need me to fetch him?”

Of course he was with Arthur. How could Uther be so foolish? The Crown Prince was ill, of course the court physician was by his side, as he should be. Uther spared a thought to journeying back up to see Gaius there, but he feared one look at his son's face would drive his guilt and grief deeper, creating a hole he might never emerge from. He could not afford that.

“No, that won't be necessary.” He chanced a look at Merlin and instantly regretted it. Hands clasped behind his back, Merlin rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, inadvertently jutting his hips forward and back in a hypnotic thrusting motion. The way Merlin shifted and fidgeted under Uther's gaze, so unaware he was highlighting the very things Uther most wanted at the moment.

He should go back to his chambers, make do with his own hand, have a cold bath, so many other options...

Merlin turned his head a little and the moonlight caught his cheek, his brilliant, creamy skin suddenly as fine as alabaster and Uther's will power crumbled. “If Gaius is with Arthur, you'll do. Follow me.”

Not waiting for Merlin's response, Uther left the lab and headed back towards his rooms. The frantic scrambling and tripping behind him let him know Merlin was in his wake. He managed to get all the way up to his chambers without looking back at Merlin once. One look and he feared his power would crumble again and he'd end up taking the servant in the middle of a corridor. While he knew this was unbecoming behavior while his son was ill, he at least knew to keep it secret.

Uther swept into his chambers and over to the fire place, never once looking at Merlin. “Close the door behind you,” Uther commanded.

Though Merlin fumbled with the latch, he did as he was told. And then he waited, waited for Uther to command him further, and oh, Uther wanted to. He wanted to order him to kneel right there and take his cock—all of it—between those plush pink lips.

Still staring into the fire, Uther contemplated for another moment. He might still turn back, tell the boy he changed his mind, he needed Gaius after all, go fetch him quick... yet the idea of pulling Gaius away from his son made him pause. Perhaps it was better to take the servant boy and assuage his grief than disturb the man keeping his son alive.

Decision made, Uther whispered, “Take off your clothes.”

Merlin, still standing stock still by the door, had to stop his mouth from falling open. Surely, he hadn't heard correctly... “Sire, I—”

“You heard me,” Uther said, a little more strength behind his words. “Do not make me repeat myself.”

It took another second for Merlin's brain to spring into action, but as soon as it did, he stripped his shirt and trousers, pausing for an awkward moment to unlace his boots and put the whole kit on the floor. When no further orders came, he tried to wrap his arms around himself to hold the chill at bay.

For the first time, Uther turned and looked at Merlin. “Get on the bed,” he said, voice almost soft. “Put your arms at your sides.”

Merlin ran to the bed, trying to ignore all the terrible thoughts in his head. Why was Uther doing this? Why would the King need him naked in his bed? He tried not to answer those questions.

Still shivering from the cool of the room, Merlin laid on the bed, arms out at his sides, and waited. With a swirl of his cape, Uther turned and swept over to the bed. His eyes ran over Merlin again and again, examining every inch of perfect, flawless skin. How a servant boy made it through life without any scars, Uther didn't even know.

He sat on the edge of the bed and slowly ran his hand from Merlin's shivering thigh, to his trembling lips. “I'm not going to hurt you,” he whispered. “I need...” what did he need? Uther didn't really know, himself, and he didn't owe an explanation to a servant. And yet, he _did_. “Companionship. I want you to enjoy it as well. Make no mistake, I intend to have you as I wish, but your pleasure will not be ignored. Do you understand?”

The trembling didn't stop but Merlin's cock twitched to attention, expressing interest, if only mild. “Yes, sire, I understand,” Merlin said, voice shaking.

“Good.” Uther stopped stroking Merlin's smooth skin and threw off his cloak, beginning to undress. Part of him wanted to assign Merlin the task, reinforce their roles a little, but another, larger part didn't want to stop looking at Merlin's perfect, almost gossamer skin. Blue veins could be seen at his wrists and up on his chest. Uther wanted to trace each one with his tongue before the night was out.

With his clothes crumpled at the foot of the bed, he blanketed his body over Merlin's, his hard cock starting to rub against Merlin's. The boy wasn't nearly as hard, not nearly as ready, but it wouldn't take Uther long. He promised pleasure and he was going to deliver.

Sliding one hand under Merlin's back, he cupped his neck and pushed his head up, bringing their lips together. The heat of Merlin's lips instantly cooled the fire inside of Uther and he pressed his tongue forward, opening Merlin's mouth, questing for more relief. Knobbly fingers and hands came up to grip Uther's shoulders. Whether he was starting to get into it or trying to push him away didn't matter, Uther was stronger, and would have what he needed.

The kiss deepened and Uther slowly rolled his hips, getting much needed friction against his cock. He wasn't a young man anymore and suspected it wouldn't take long to sate the fire inside him, but he wasn't about to waste this opportunity.

Once he'd taken all he wanted from Merlin's lips, he started downwards, licking and biting at Merlin's neck, sucking soft red welts into the pale skin until Merlin gasped in pleasure. He felt Merlin's hard cock against his chest now as he continued down, scraping his teeth along a protruding collar bone, leaving more red marks in his wake. Oh yes, Uther wanted to taste his skin so badly, to leave no inch undiscovered. He nibbled at one peaked nipple, then the other when he felt Merlin's cock start to throb against him.

“Good...” he hummed into Merlin's ribs, making him giggle. One last kiss to protruding ribs and Uther crawled back up, capturing Merlin's lips once again. Merlin wasn't resisting now, he threw himself into the kiss, opening his mouth for his King to plunder and take whatever he desired. Those spindly hands clawed and grabbed for Uther, pulling him closer, as close as possible.

Biting one plush lip between his teeth, Uther savored the softness of it, brushing his tongue across Merlin's lips again and again.

When he'd taken his fill of Merlin's neck and chest, Uther got a hand under his back and flipped him over. The sudden movement pushed a surprised breath from between Merlin's lips. “Sire?”

Uther didn't answer him. He continued his ministrations across Merlin's back, spending a short amount of time licking and biting delicate, yet bony shoulders before coming to his real prize.

Merlin's ass didn't seem like much under his clothes, but bared like this, Uther saw it was almost as plush as his lips. He started to suck a welt into the top of the left cheek before turning his attention to the other, here, he took the top swell, the fattiest part of Merlin's ass, between his teeth and nipped, just hard enough to make Merlin jump. Now, no matter what happened, every time he sat down for the next few days, Merlin would remember his King and what he'd allowed him to do. He wasn't the kind of brute who branded his servants or his lovers as he'd heard some barbaric kings did, but he did like being remembered, even if it was fleeting.

His cock twitched against his thigh and Uther knew he could wait no longer. He settled his cock into the cleft of Merlin's ass and started thrusting. Slow at first, he luxuriated in the feel of the plump ass under him, Merlin's muscles quivering and jumping.

“Ugh,” Uther grunted and buried his face in Merlin's neck. He slid one hand under Merlin's shoulder, bending him back a little as his thrusts got faster and faster. His other hand maneuvered between Merlin and the bed, circling around the boy's cock to give him some much needed relief. He did promise to take care of Merlin's pleasure, and a king lived and died by his word.

“Oh, sire...” Merlin groaned.

Uther groaned with him. He felt it coming, the heat pooling low in his belly, like a coiling snake ready to spring. Merlin's skin was fire against him, his sweat and hair fragrant and damn near irresistible. When Uther felt the first sparks of his orgasm, he bit into Merlin's neck, muffling his cries while he spilled his seed across Merlin's ass and back.

With one last thrust it all ended, Merlin's harsh pants muffled by the pillows, Uther ran his tongue over the red skin at Merlin's neck before pulling away completely. His own come began to dry on his stomach, sticking to the hairs there. He frowned and went to his wash basin to tidy up.

Merlin stayed on the bed, not moving a single muscle. He came too, which was pleasurable, but the punishment the King might dole out for soiling his sheets was difficult to think of. So there he stayed, until Uther told him to move.

After a quick scrub with a towel and water, the fire inside Uther had almost cooled completely. He dressed again and eyed the serving boy in his bed. Merlin had quite clearly gotten the lion's share of Uther's come spread across his ass cheeks and lower back. Taking pity on him, he went back to his wash room and grabbed another cloth. Dipping it in the clean water from the basin, he laid it on Merlin's back. Merlin twitched at the sudden cold and Uther sighed. So the guilt came quickly this time.

“You may use my rooms to wash yourself,” he said. “Then if you'll change my bed linens before you leave.” It was a command, they both knew it, but given what Merlin had just... submitted himself to, Uther felt the need to soften his words a little. Now that the haze of desire had cleared his head, the full display of the marks he left was spread for him to see: bright red bites and small welt trails crossed Merlin's skin. Nothing bruising, just... just enough, to remind Merlin what had happened.

He placed a hand on Merlin's shoulder and squeezed. “Thank you, your King appreciates your service.”

Merlin peeked over his shoulder, dark eyelashes framing some of the brightest eyes Uther had ever seen. He nodded. “Yes, sire, it's an honor to serve you and your family.”

Family...

And just like Gaius' swift, sobering kick all those years ago, Uther's mind caught up with him. Arthur.

He turned and left his chambers, heading straight for Arthur's room. As he pushed open the door, his mind flashed back to the day Gaius kicked him out of bed, “You have a son!” he shouted. Suddenly remembering the world, he dressed and rushed to the nursery. Clutched at the breast of the nurse, Uther set eyes on his son for the first time.

“Leave him with me,” he whispered to the nurse.

She finished feeding Arthur and placed him in his cot, curtsying as she left. Uther did not notice her, he wouldn't notice anyone for a very long time, not with the infant Arthur filling his mind. Tiny fingers, tiny toes, he seemed so delicate as Uther plucked him from the cot and held him close to his chest. He fussed for a moment, then went quiet. Uther looked down at his babe and knew he'd never love anyone like he loved his son.

Like all those years past, he entered his son's room and looked at his sleeping face. “Any change?” he asked Gaius.

The physician shook his head. “Not yet, sire. I will try everything I know.”

“Thank you, Gaius.”

They didn't exchange another word. Uther pulled up a chair next to Arthur's sick bed and sat. He took his son's limp hand and raised it to his lips, and vowed not to move from this spot until Arthur was well.

The fever inside him cooled and Uther was ready to go about his duties, as a king, and most importantly, as a farther.

The End

 


End file.
